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Top Ten Latin Music Hits of June

Latino Life comes to show you which tropical songs have the highest popularity during June.

Urban, Brazilian Music

The Real Girl from Ipanema

With an urban pop repertoire that glides through Portuguese, Spanish and English, and the looks, moves and charisma to match, it’s no wonder that Anitta is pipped to be the next global female superstar and dubbed as the next…

Surrogate Latino #7: Miguel Muziq, Latin Jazz Guitarist

Guitarist, songwriter, and producer, Miguel Muziq is a new force to be reckoned with on the Latin Jazz scene. His production/remixing credits include Usher and Kelly Rowland, now Miguel’s debut album “An Angel’s Healing” finally…

The History of Reggaetón

For those of you who've come to it late, here's a beginner's guide...

J Balvin at the 02 Arena

A night of show-stopping, awe-inspiring production mixed with the perfect ratio of laid-back and heart-warming moments from the artist. J Balvin at this height of his career continues to set the standard for creativity, …

Brazilian Music

Things That Matter to...Luiz Gabriel Lopes

Luiz Gabriel Lopes is a singer-songwriter from Minas Gerais, the fertile territory that spawned the incredible Clube da Esquina generation of Milton Nascimento, Lo Borges, Toninho Horta et al. Echoing these illustrious…

The London Latin All Stars

The headline act at 'LatinoLife in the Park', what better way to comeback from lockdown than bring together the finest UK Latin artists of a generation for this specially curated 16-piece Big Band, to finish the UK…

The History of Latin Music in London

Notwithstanding the cheesy album covers, Latinolife explores the rich and idiocyncratic story of Latin Music in London.

Spanish Music

Paco de Lucia

Paco de Lucía: (Francisco Sánchez Gomez), guitarist and composer, born 21 December 1947; died 25 February 2014

The Global Adventures of Paquito D’Rivera

From child prodege in Havana to one of the greatest Latin jazz artists of our times, we pay tribute to the great Cuban musician and all round renaissance man.

Brazilian Music

Things That Matter to...Anderson, lead singer of Afro-Reggae

Anderson, 29, was born and raised in Vigário Geral, one of Rio de Janeiro’s most violent favelas. His mum is a dinner lady and his dad, a tax-driver. Anderson’s first jobs involved doing small favours for criminals like wrapping…

Swiss Sampling: An Interview with Michel Cleis

His track ‘La Mezcla’, using a Toto La Momposina sample, became one of the biggest house tracks of the century, and it made him a household name in that market. Now the World-renowned Swiss DJ and producer just reworked Natalia…

Tito Nieves Tunes that Rock The Dance Floor

"El Pavarotti de la Salsa" as he is also known, Tito Nieves is one of the best voices of Salsa, no doubt. With a fantastic career that started in the late ’70s, Tito has managed to stay relevant and active, keeping his…

Pop & Rock

The Fabulous Chameleons

Los Fabulosos Cadillacs have calved a place as one of Latin America’s most successful rock bands, thanks to a unique and ever-mutating style - a concept, they say they copied from The Clash. Latino Life talks to Vicentico and…

Alternative

Chaos with a Purpose

From New York to Puerto Rico, Buscabulla is an electronic music duo formed by Luis Alfredo Del Valle and Raquel Berrios, both Puerto Rico-born musicians who lived in Brooklyn until 2017. That year, Puerto Rico was destroyed by…

THE OCTOBER REGGAETON RECAP

It’s hard to tell what’s dropping faster, the leaves from the trees or the singles and albums from these reggaeton stars. This month is all about the opposites as a formidable new duo discuss the ultimate love while another…

Birdsong in Quechua

Considered one of the most important indigenous singers to emerge out of South America over the last 50 years, through her 25 albums Luzmila Carpio has inspired millions while singing in both her native Aymara-Quechua language…

Finding Freedom

After a decade as one of the most sought-after salsa musicians in Europe, Rene Alvarez is embarking on a long-life dream of fusing his Afro-Cuban heritage with his love of North American funk. His new band, Alvarez Funk, departs…

WHAT MEXICO IS

Often accused of glorifying violence, Norteño legends Los Tigres del Norte have caused controversy and divided opinion with their musical “story-telling”. Yet there is no denying the huge impact that this highly influential…

Film, Tropical Music

"I couldn't have made this film if I wasn't Latino"

In the 1950s, when the Democratic Republic of the Congo was a Belgian colony, a generation of Congolese musicians fused traditional African rhythms with Afro-Cuban music to create the electrifying beat of Congolese rumba - a beat…

Pop & Rock

Maluma @ Wembley Arena

London's Latinas got their fix of Latin America's hottest pop property at Wembley on September 24th

Classical Jazz and Folk, Pop & Rock

A Talent Show Star with a Difference

Since winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 2017 (with the highest ever score to date) and giving Portugal its first-ever win in the contest, Salvador Sobral has proved to be much more than just a talent contest winner. The jazz…

Street Elegance

L-Gante is one of the most exciting, original and successful urban artists to emerge from Latin America in recent years. Emerging from the working-class suburbs of Buenos Aires, the boy from el barrio came out of nowhere and…

The People's Salsero

At first dismissed for his wordy complexity, Rubén Blades - composer, singer, salsero, lyricist, narrator, poet, social conscience and political activist - soon proved to be Fania's biggest money spinner. In this…

We Love Omar Geles

Omar Geles was one of Colombia's most important Vallenato singers and musicians and the most prolific composer of his generation. His band Los Diablitos, which he formed with Miguel Morales, produced a string of hits in the…

Pop & Rock

Mexico's Ranchera-Pop Anti-Diva

Blending traditional Mexican ranchera sounds with elements of the Pop and Rock she grew up with in Tijuana, Julieta Venega first landed on the Mexican Rock scene in the nineties and has since won a Grammy, been nominated for two…

HEARTSONGS

Lila Downs is back – with not one but Dos Corazones – a new song which she will be debuting live in London this this month. She tells Elizabeth Mistry how her first UK visit in eight years will be an opportunity to talk about…

Things That Matter to...Alfredo Rodríguez

Widely considered to be one of the most gifted and exciting jazz pianists of his generation, Alfredo Rodríguez’s high-octane, warm and joyous musicianship won him at first the mentorship of Quincy Jones then a Grammy nomination.…

Things That Matter To...Eliane Elias

Brazilian jazz pianist Eliane Elias is known for her distinctive and immediately recognizable musical style which blends her Brazilian roots, her sensuous, alluring voice with her virtuosic instrumental jazz, classical and…

Baila La Cumbia

Baila La Cumbia - Tropical tunes from the South West guaranteed to get your feet on the dancefloor!

Odd One Out

Hailed as one of the most promising jazz musicians of her generation, Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana is somewhat of an anomoly. Amaranta Wright meets Blue Note’s latest signing and discovers an incredible journey from a…

Tino Contreras' Fantasy Island Tracks

Our castaway this month is Tino Contreras the master Mexican jazz drummer who for more than six decades has melded Latin influences with free jazz, psychedelia, avant-garde experimentation, and global sounds. Born in 1924, Tino…